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Tony Casillas on Cowboys disappointing loss to Arizona
Former Dallas Cowboy Tony Casillas talks about the team's surprising loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3.
ARLINGTON, Texas - Dak Prescott said he felt it in his soul when the Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason.
Together as stars since their rookie year in 2016, the quarterback and running back haven't really had much time to digest being on separate teams.
They're getting used to it now - just in time.
Elliott and the Patriots (1-2) visit Prescott and the Cowboys (2-1) on Sunday, a reunion so significant it's almost making a footnote of New England's Bill Belichick needing a victory to become the third coach in NFL history with 300 wins in the regular season for his career.
"That's part of the business," Prescott said. "We learned that pretty quick, and then seeing him depart, it was part of it. But I'm happy for him, always pulling for him and he's doing well. Excited for him."
They were fast friends because Prescott, a fourth-round draft pick, unexpectedly became the starter in 2016 when Tony Romo was injured. Elliott, the fourth overall choice, was automatically in the lineup from the beginning.
Elliott didn't have a license at the time, Prescott said, and the quarterback had a car. Things just grew from there, to the point that Elliott called Prescott to give him a heads-up before the two-time rushing champion's release in a cost-cutting move was official in March.
"It's really just being thankful for the time that we've had together," Prescott said. "That's got to end at some point, whether it ends with you retiring, whether it ends with you traded and changing teams, whatever it may be. Just blessed for the time that we've had, the relationship that we got to create, goes well beyond our time playing."
The previous time Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb saw the Patriots, he was waving "bye" - which drew a fine - after catching the winning touchdown pass in a 35-29 overtime victory two years ago.
Before that, the Cowboys never could beat Tom Brady's Patriots, going 0-5 in a 16-year span that included one loss with Prescott under center.
Now Dallas is trying to re-establish some early season momentum after a 28-16 loss at Arizona, looking for a 10th consecutive victory at AT&T Stadium and the first at home over New England since 1996.
Elliott is trying to build on his best day for the Patriots, an 80-yard outing in a 15-10 win over the New York Jets.
"Definitely a big game for him," Lamb said. "There's a lot on his shoulders, obviously. It's the team he got drafted to. All of the relationships, friendships and bonds. His best friend is the quarterback, so there's gonna be a lot of emotions going on. It'll be exciting to see."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots
The Cowboys will look to get back to winning ways when they take on the Patriots.
What: Dallas Cowboys (2-1) at New England Patriots (1-2)
When: Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 3:25 p.m.
Where: AT&T Stadium
How to watch: In Dallas, you can watch the entire game on FOX 4. If you're outside the DFW area, you can catch it on all FOX stations throughout Texas. You can stream it on the NFL app and NFL Network. NFL rules prohibit FOX 4 from streaming the game so, as much as we'd LOVE to stream the games here, we can't. Sorry.